Work support



Jane 1s, 194s.

D. W. GRAZIER WORK SUPPORT Filed oet. 11, VV1944 `3 Sheets-Sheet 1 F'IEi- Ef M t ifa/06g June 1.8.1946. D. w. GRAzlER WORK SUPPORT 5 `Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. l1, l19441 NN Nm.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 18, 1946.. D. w`; GRAzrER WORK SUPPORT` AFiled oct. 11,1944

Patented June 18, 1946 *UNITED s'rfnri-:si PATENT gori-loll Dor. White 'Grazien Carnegie-IllinoisY Stel ration of New Jersey Application October 11, 1944, Serial No. 558,-183 sclaivms. (o1. 51-216).

This .invention relates'to structural features lof design and'l arrangement of supports foi-'holding large workpieces such as 'castings orv forgings whi`ch=requirethat chipping, rough' grindingoperation's; or "the like', be performed thereon.

4Arnong'th'c-e' objects'of the invention are to provide'rafsingle Vcompact unit equipped with means for resiliently and' adjustablysupporting or hold'- ing partsfof various size and shape requiring processing such as-hand ormachine cutting, finishin'g Ior grinding; to provide work holding means which vcan beV quickly and .easily shifted to various angular'positions during a processing operationen the work;` to provide `a xture of rugged design capable of' easy manipulation by relatively yunskilled labor; and to so construct and arrangethe coacting instrumentalitie's shown and described that they'efciently perform the Afuncti'ons-'setiforth Fora more'compreh'ensive understanding of all aspectslof 'the invention, reference shouldfbe' made to' the-following detailed disclosure, the accompanying drawings, andthe appendedclaims.

In' the' drawings:

Figurel is 'a plan view of a practical embodiment of 'the invention with parts broken away to improve'vtheY illustration.

Figurev 2'is a front' elevation of Figure' 1f.

Figure 3 is an end' elevation 'as viewedl from the right ofFigures'l and 2.`

'Figure flis avertical' sectionI on line IV--IV ofFi'gure 1'.'

Referring'inv detail to fthe embodiment of the invention illustrated; referen'cenumeral I0 reprsents ``a`floor or foundation on which therevis mountedfa base ring `IZ'ol angle section carrying depending pins' or projections I 4' which Venter 'suitable positioning 'holes'inthe foundation. The uprightiilangve of the Abase ring'iormsfa rotatable mounting'oranannular'ring IB of angle section. 'I'he- 'upright' anges of `the nested angular' rings 4l 21 'and' -liareeach providedI with` a plurality vof spaceclv holes adaptedto receive' posiwhich" are' tioning'pins "luwhich thus lserve'to hold the' ring Iiiand` parts supported-thereby in'varlous desired positions of angular adjustment. i

' `VParallel channellgirders 20L-20ers secured to the* liorizontalfange' of the ring-|`6,` the rinner flanges offtherfgirders being'not'chedout to intert andllouterfsegmental `portions of the top flange 'of'frngfl .heingvcutl on to make* a vsnug yiltbetween'.the'downwardlyA disposed vvilanges of 'the saidilgirders'.' y.

` .Snppor'tedi'lointlybyf'the'adjustable angle ring I8 and the girders 20 there-.isa pair.' 'ofiY channel supports ,12'2'1 which` .are"'securely connected by Johnstown, Pa., assigner to Corporation, a-corpo- 2 bracketsV 24 .and 2t'to'the' girders and the supporting'ring. v

Nested between theupper'and lower flanges of the channels'supports22-22 is apair of oating channels; 28`-28" having. `secured to the lower ilan'ges thereof' shell-'like housings `3i) for retaining springs 32 which' rest upon the lower'ilanges of the. channel supports' 22; Thus the several springs32 jointly constitute a resilient or yielding support for'the floating channels 28; One end of each vof` the channels 28 is connected by links V34 and pins 36 and 38 with a respective bracket plate `40 'spanning the' space between the upperfand lower flanges. of eachchannel 22. At the endsof thechannel `28,l opposite theA link-connected' ends, the web portions thereof are eX- tended and bent around to hook-like form asindicated` at 42 in Figures 1 and 4, the extremities ofthe' hookslike portions overlapping 'the outer faces'ofthe webs'of the channel 'supports 22. The link connection' and overlapping hook `portions 42 'thus'con-nect theoating channels 28 with the supports: 22 in'- a' manner' to limit their endwise movement'and yet permit relative vertical movement.

Spanning'tlie space between the floating channels.28"-2Bl isa painof work-supporting o1' holding members 44"and"46 Which'inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated take the form of heavy wood timbers' whose ends are notched out as` indicatedV at 48 to provide' tongue-like extensions'ST-to` enterthe space between the upper and lower' anges of said' channels 28. The member 44 is normally adapted to be'xedly secured" to the floating'c'hannels 28 butvmeans are provided for adjusting itin' various `inclina-tions to suit the requirements'` of' the work to be held. For this purpose each'end of the timber 44 is arcuated as' indicated vat 52; For adjustably positioning themem'ber"44"there are provided `removable pins l54 which are adapted to passthrough selected ones o'f 'a series'of'holes' and 58 formed respectively inthe anges of the' channels 22 and 28. The'pins serve ras stops'for the tongue extensions 50. The lower extremities ofthe pins 54 are adapted'to'r rest loosely on' a'stop bar 60 which in the embodiment o'f` the `invention illustrated is welded -or otherwise secured to the spring housings 30 carried' by the lower flanges of -the channels'2'8. `As-thus'z'rrranged, it is apparent that the member 44-may beheld in' a position at right angles to the channels 28 as shown or at various other 'angles by 'merely selecting'appropriate holes in the ilanges'soi'ch'ann'els 22fand 28' for engagement withfthe'pins'fS4.`

Wearzplates Mare secured to the underside of the 'tongues' 54. The ends of theseV plates are cutoff at "an 4ang e' as indicatedat 6.4 to facilitate zthe'scrafpin'g; 01Ty or'ejeotion of 'dirt or for'- eign matter accumulating on. 'theI upper4 face' of the lower flange of the channel 26 upon adjusting movement of the member 44. Y n

A plurality of holes 66 are drilled in the member 44 for the accommodation of rods or tubes 68 which are adapted to form supports for vari- A ous Workpieces at different elevations, it being understood that the holes 66 may be located at varlus elevations to suit the shape of the particular piece to be held or supported.

A series of vertical holes 'I0' arealso provided in the timber 44, these being adapted to accommodate rods 'I2 passing through gripping elements I4 which are thus adapted to be Variably positioned on the member 44 to make firm en-` gagement with parts of the work to be held, The member 46 is also provided with holes 'I6 for engagement with pins I8 adapted to pass through similar gripping elements 80.

Brackets 82 secured to the outer upright face of the member 46 support a self-like extension 83 of the member 46. Said brackets carry pins 84 connected by links 88 which in turn are connected by pins 99 with levers 92 secured to a rock shaft 94'which when turned bymechanism to be presently described is adapted to shift the clamp member 46 toward or from its mating member 44. The lever 92l asillustrated has a number of holes formed therein at different radialdistances from the shaft 94 to provide flexibilityofithrow'so as to adapt the apparatus for changes in proportion to suit requirements in the handling for a wide variety of sizes of workpieces.

The rock shaft 94 is journaled in suitablebearing blocks 96 carried by brackets l93 which are conveniently bolted toupstanding flanges of certain of the brackets 24 which support the channels 22. f A suitable thrustbearing'and a collar 99, secured to theshaft, prevents endwise movement thereof. Secured at one end of the rock shaft 94 there is an arm '|90 which'is connected by pin |02 with the clevis end |04 of -a rod.|06 having a screw-threaded portion' |078 which engages a nut I I0 having sleeve members ||2 and II4 secured thereto. The'sleeve member |I4 has a cap I I6 screwed on the lower end thereof; which cap has a hub portion I8 mak-ing aworking. fit with thegrod |,06 The capis Yadapted to retain grease or other lubricant.

Keyed orotherwise secured to the upper extremity of the sleeve I-I2 is a stub'shaft |20 having a'reduced journal portion |22 carrying thrust bearings |24. The journal portion |22 is rotatable in a bearing block |26 having a stud portion |28-swiVeled in a block V|30 bolted or otherwise secured to the upstanding flanges ofone-of the brackets 24 which supports one of the channels 22. I A hand crank'I32 is keyed and bolted to the upper extremity of the stub shaft. r|As thus arranged, itis clear that by turning the crankvin an appropriate direction the rock shaft 94 can be operated so as to cause the-work holding member 46 to be forcibly moved into engagement with work supported on or engaged by the member 44.

jWhile not limited thereto, the abovedescribed combinationand arrangement of parts are particularly well suited for holding large castings, forgings, and the like of intricate or irregular shape which require chippingrough grinding, or similar finishing operations thereon to suit them for ultimate use. It has been established in practice that the provision of a resiliently mounted work support of the' character hereindescribed and claimed not only Vpermits faster cutting and more uniform work but also greatly relieves fthe a preferred embodiment of muscular shock and resulting fatigue imparted to the operator by the action of the chipping hammer, grinding wheel Vor similar processing tool.

4While I have described in considerable detail the invention which an actual reduction to practice has proven to be highly desirable, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable work-supporting means of the character described, comprising a base member adapted to be mounted on a fixed foundation, an adjustable member rotatably supported for movement about a substantially vertical-axis on the basemember, means for selectively locking the said base and said adjustable member in various positions of angular relationship, workpiece-engaging members, and means for resiliently mounting the latter on said adjustable member With freedom for limited vertical movement.

2. An adjustable work-supporting means of the character described, comprising a base member adapted to be mounted on a fixed foundation, an adjustable member rotatably supported on the base member, means for selectively locking the said base and said adjustable member in various positions of angular relationship, a workpieceengaging member, means for securing it in various angular positions to said adjustable member, another workpiece-engaging member coacting with the one first mentioned, means yieldingly supporting said workpiece-engaging members on said adjustable member, a shaft movable with said adjustable member and operatively connected with said second-named workpiece-engaging member, and means for actuating said shaft so as to exert a holding force on the workpiece engaged by said workpiece-engaging members.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that at least one of said workpiece-engaging members is equipped with adjustably'positionable auxiliary workpiece supports. l

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in lthat at least one of said workpiece-engaging members is equipped with adjustably positionable auxiliary workpiece supports and with variably positionable elements for gripplngthe workpiece supported by said workpiece-engaging members in various desired locations.-

5. An adjustable work-supporting means of the character described, comprising a base ring adapted to be pinned to a fixed foundation floor, an angle ring having a substantially vertical annular leg rotatably associated with said base ring and having a substantially horizontal annular leg to which is secured a pair of spaced cross girders, a pair of spaced longitudinal channel supports whose flanges face one another and which are fixedly secured to said girders, respective floating channel members nested between the flanges of said channel supports, resilient supporting elements interposed between said channel supports and said floating members, a workpiece-engaging member and means for locating it on said floating channel members in various angular positions, another workpiece-engaging member coacting with the latter, and means for forcing the last-named member toward the firstnamed one so as to cause them to jointly grip a workpiece and thus yieldingly support it on said floating channel members. i f

- DORE' WHITE GRAZIER; 

